Combination venting, filling, and gauging device for fuel oil tanks



June 3, 1952 BROWN 2,599,162

COMBINATION VENTING, FILLING, AND GAUGING DEVICE FOR FUEL OIL TANKS v 2Sl-IEETSSHEET 1 Filed April 8, 1947 IN VEN TOR. JOSEPH BROWN.

I BY

ATTORNE).

June 3, 1952 .1. BROWN 2,599,162

COMBINATION VENTING, FILLING, AND GAUGING DEVICE FOR FUEL OIL TANKSFiled April 8, 1947 2 SI-iEETS-Sl-IEET 2 f 486 1 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH BROW/V,

21b 1! BY Z 213 V75 1 Mum 414.-

ATTOKNEY Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATIONVENTING, FILLING, AND GAUGING DEVICE FOR FUEL OIL TANKS Joseph Brown,Drexel, Pa. Application April 8, 1947, Serial No. 740,212

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices forfilling and venting fuel tanks and to be disposed distant from the tankand embedded in the wall of a house or building and available to thefuel distributor from the outside of the building.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable devicecomposed of a minimum number of parts which are rugged and can be easilyassembled in position and can be as easily and quickly operated to filland vent the tank.

A further object is to provide a receptacle having parts to receive filland vent pipes, said receptacle including a louvered lid pivotallysecured to the receptacle in such manner that it may be swung to oneside to make the fill pipe accessible while being retained on thereceptacle.

A further object is to provide a device in which the parts are sorelated that when the attendant leaves the spot he can lock up the partsso that tampering is prevented while permitting free venting andprotection of the connections to the tank from inclement weather andother factors.

Still further, it is an object to provide a device which can be made bysimple casting operations and assembled with equal economy to be lockedagainst opening except by one with authority so to do.

Another object is to provide in such a receptacle, an indicator or guagethat can be read at the fuel filling position to indicate the level ofthe fuel in the tank so as to eliminate overflowing of the tank and.thus prevent loss of fuel oil and lessen the fire hazard, and at thesame time to permit of delivery of the fuel without regard to thepresence or absence of the home owner or building superintendent.

A further object is to provide a receptacle and closure for the outerends of a fill and a vent pipe of oil storage tanks which hold the fueloil of oil burners to make the inlet end of the fuel pipe accessible tothe attendant on fuel oil delivery trucks at the street level withoutrequiring anyones presence at the tank to determine the level of thefuel in the tank. The attendant can tell by reading the indicatoroutside the building whether or not fuel oil is required.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will moreclearly appearfrom the detailed specification hereinafter set forthespecially when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings whichillustrate present preferred forms which the invention may assume andwhich form part of the specification.

Briefly and in general terms, the invention comprises a simple boxcasting having venting and filling openings, and in some cases a recessfor an indicator, with sockets at the rear in line to receiveconnections from the tank, for venting, filling, and for indicatingliquid level. The filling opening walls are preferably sloped with thethreads therein to receive a cap sloped at an angle preferably of sixtydegrees to the horizontal, which has been found the most convenientangle for such use. The casting is related to a cover pivoted thereonand simple fastening means is provided which also acts as a pivot means.The cover and casting have related projections which prevent swinging ofthe cover when the fastening device is effective so that the door, whenin closed position, may be drawntightly against the casting and heldthere securely.

The present preferred form which the invention may assume is illustratedin the drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the device with the cover plate in closedposition.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section through the deviceshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the device with the cover removed.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the device in situ with the cover swungaside for filling.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified form of the device with thecover plate in closed position.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 6 with the coverremoved.

Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Figs. 6, '7, and 8.

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of another modified form of the device withthe cover plate in closed position.

Fig. 11 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the deviceshown in Fig. 10.

Referring now merely to the preferred specific forms showninthe'drawings, it is seen that, with reference to Figs. 1 to 5,inclusive, the device comprises a casting l0 having a peripheral flangeI l and three openings therein; a vent passage I2 at the rear of whichis a socket l3 for the reception of a vent pipe, shown in dotted lines(Fig. 2), from the fuel tank; a recess [4 to receive a fuel indicator I5of any desired type, at the rear of which there is a threaded socket [6to receive a cable, shown in dotted lines (Fig. 2), or othertransmission means from the level gauge in the fuel tank; and a loweropening I! for filling purposes, having front threads H to engage athreaded nipple on the filling pipe from the fuel supply tank truck. Theslope of this threaded bore is preferably about 60 to the horizontal,which has been found to be the best angle for the proper engagement withthe filling nozzle when it is inserted into said opening ll. At the rearof the opening-or passage I1; is .a threaded socket l8'toreceive a pipe,shown in dotted lines (Fig. 2), extending from the fuel tank.

The front of the casting, which is to be em.- bedded in a well, as shownin Fig. 5,.istobe nor? mally covered by a plate 19, which is providedwith a rearwardly extending projection or finger 2| which, when thecover is in closed position, projects into a recess 22 formed at thelower pertion of the front face of the casting; The cover is supportedon the front face of the casting by means of a key-operated screw 23which thiieadably engages a lip 24 dependent from the top wall of thecasting I and its head is housed in: a recess in the frontxface of. thecover l9. By tightening up on. the screw 23, the cover: is heldrigidlyin .closed'position-against the face-oi the casting) withthefinger'Zl projecting into the recess 22 toprevent force-being usedtoswing the'cover plate aroundthepivot without using therkeyto loosenthe screw 23. Whenv thetfuel attendant operates his; key to release thescrew 23,- the-cover is loosened: enough to-swing. it aside, as-shown inFig. 5, sufficiently to'insert a filling nozzle-into the fillingopeningand alsoto view theind'icator. In line with-filling passage 1-2, thefront. cover I9. is provided withvent apertures-2B protectedbiz-downwardly sloping lipsv 2:! so that the-ventin of the tank' isalways, operative-although thepase sage is inaccessible when the "coveris closed and rain. snow, etc.-,, cannot reach the inside.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs; 6 to 9, inclusive,theshape-of the casting is triangular and resembles somewhattheinstrument boardt'ofanrautomobile: In this :form; the casting isIlla, the cover-319a, with the venting passage l3a, the-filling "passage1 Ia-and the socket-for the indicatorconnection at 16a; Theindicator-casing l5a is disposed in the lower right corner of thecasting and the'fillingpassage and socket I8a in the lower left handcorner. The ventin passage. is disposed at, the apex of the'casting, onarmedi'anvertical line. The recessZZa isQdisposed on this line at thebottom of the casting. The slope of the passage-is as. before." Thescrew 23a is housed i-n-recess. 25a and the vent openings 26a andprotecting :lips 2111 provided on the cover 1912.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the shape of thecasting and the cover is substantially thesame as: in Figs. 1 to5';inclusive, but in this form, the indicator is omitted. In this formare shown'the casting (0b: with the peripheral flange llb, withthe vent:passage 12b and its: associated pipe socket 1312 at thesr'ear. There isalso the filling-passage lib 'with'the threads: llc sloped 'at 60 asbefore, and'the threaded socket 18b at :the rear thereon The cover 1912,as before, is pivoted on:a.screw"2i3b engaging the dependent ;lip.24'b,the head of the screw lying in a recess 25b in the face of the cover.The cover isralso 'providedzwith a finger tlb projecting. into'a'recess- 22b in the. face of the casting and acting as beforedescribed.-

In the operation of the device, and considering the parts in closedposition shown in Fig. 2, it will be obvious that as the driver of thefuel truck wishes to fill the tank, he inserts his key into engagementwith the head of the screw 23 and turns it until the cover is withdrawnan amount suii'icient for the projection or finger 2! to be clear of therecess 22 whereupon he can swing the cover-to onesid'el, assh'own' inFig. 5,

'sothat' he may inspect theindicator and thereupon insert his fillingnozzle into the filling passage l'l. When a sufiicient supply of fuel ispassed intothe tank, he withdraws the nozzle, swingsthezcoverback intothe proper position, and then tightens up on the screw 23 therebylocking-the cover into place. All the time, Whether thecoverisopened orclosed, the venting operation is not obstructed in any way, and when theparts are locked closed, the venting action will continue but access tothe interior is prevented and rain and otherelements cannot'reach theventing passage and therefore get into the tank.

Wliilethe invention has been described in detail, and'with respect topresent preferred forms which the invention may assume, it is not to .belimited to such forms. and details since many changes and modificationsmay be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention in its broadest. aspects. Hence, it is desired to coverany and all forms and modifications of the invention which may comewithin the language or scope of the appended claim.

Having thus describedumyinvention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patout, is:

A venting and filling device which comprises a casting. having a frontface with an extending peripheral flange therea-round and having ventingand fillingpassages and a first recess, an indicator in said. firstrecess, socketson the rear of the casting and-in linewithsaid passagesand first recess to receive connections from a remote tank. and froma-liquid level responsive device in said tank, azcover pivotedtozthecasting; means acting as a fastening meansand a pivot means tohold the cover tight against the casting and: to loosen the sametherefrom, said casting having a second recess remote'from the'pivotaxis of the cover and a5 finger on the cover extending into said secondrecess when the fastening meansis tightened, to abut thewallsofsaidlrecess toprevent thecover from'swinging fromits closed position.

JOSEPH BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 365,232 Bingham June 21, 188?1,307,494 Hawxhurst June 24,1919 1,473,162. Sage Nov. 6, 1923 1,823,377Remington Sept, 15,1931 2,309,80 Smith Feb. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 145.387 Great Britain July 2, 1920

